Measuring instrument responsive to capacity variations



March ll, 1952 J. R. CORNELIUS 2,588,702

MEASURING INSTRUMENT RESPONSIVE TO CAPACITY VARIATIONSV Filed April 14. 1950 2 SHEETS- SHEET l fl: -ISZ HiT-T@ .2

n /A/l/E/VTOR J. KCORNELAUS wwmgw March 11, 1952 I Filed April 14. 1950 J. R. CORNELIUS MEASURING INSTRUMENT RESPONSIVE TO CAPACITY VARIATIQNS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 d. KCORNELHJS Patented Mar. 11, 1952 MEASURIN G INSTRUMENT RESPONSIVE TO VCAPACITY VARIATIONS James Richard Cornelius, Coventry, England Application April 14, 1950, Serial N o. 156,026 In Great Britain May 31, 1949 3 Claims.

The invention relates to ,an instrument, for measuring a line dimension, of the kind in which a movement of a stylus, in direct relation tothe dimension to be measured, varies the capacitance of a capacitor in an electronic oscillator circuit for varying the frequency thereof, `and 'in which the variable frequency is imposed on a fixed frequency ofthe circuit forsetting up a beat frequency from which latter the dimension can be indicated or recorded. Such an instrument forms the subject of my British Patent No. 577,538.

There are various instruments of this kind in use at present but they all share the disadvantage that it is not possible to observe or indicate, with a desirable degree of accuracy for a long period (e. g., several thousand hours), small .dimensions (by which term I intend also to include small variations in dimensions) of the order of one-millionth of an inch. This defect has been due either to the inductances ,and capacitors, included in the measuring circuit of the instrument, not having sufciently low temperature coefficients, or to them not being arranged for their said coefficients to'be combined in such Va manner as to satisfactorily eliminate overall variations induced by temperature changes.

My object is to improve an instrument of the kind referred to by eliminating (or at least mitigating) the overall variations due to Vtemperature `changes so as to enable the instrument to measure accurately, for a long period, dimensions `of the order of one-millionth part of an inch.

According tothe invention, `the measuring circuit includes an oscillator valve, the output at the Aanode `of lwhich is of constant frequency, regulated by a quartz-crystal and combined with a tank circuit for filtering out a selected harmonic,

yand an amplifying circuit to 'which the selected harmonic is fed and -which includes a voltage amplifier with a temperature-compensating filter, the latter comprising a primary section of small inductance and large capacitance, and ra secondary section of smaller inductance yand larger capacitance as compared with Athe .primary section, the inductances and capacitors ,of the two sections respectively being arranged forany variations due to temperature changes to .be opposed, and the secondarysection including ,the variable capacitor which Yis influenced by the stylus.

By the term stylus I intend to include any suitable element for engaging a surface of which a dimension is to be measured, withreference to a datum, and which is operatively associated with the movable plate of the variable capacitor for feeding the dimension into the measuring circuit.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows one form of measuring circuit for an instrument according to =the invention; and

Figure 2 .is an alternative output circuit.

Similar parts in the two gures are denoted by like Yreference numerals.

Referring rst to Figure l, the circuit is connected at II, I2 across a smooth direct current supply, (e. g., a battery, accumulator, or, as shown in Figure l, an alternating current supply with a rectiying apparatus including a full wave rectier I3, capacitors I4, I5, and resistors IB, Il, such as is normally employed in this type of equipment), the positive potential at II, 'in the example given, being volts. The-provision of constant voltage to the various components is es- Sential, and, if necessary, a voltage regulating means, such as a neon stabilizer I8, can be connected across the supply.

The pentode valve I9 is a known form of oscillator, which, 'by means of a quartZ-crystal'Z'U, and

a capacitance potentiometer 21, 22, and a resistance potentiometer 23, 24 connected across its cathode and control grid to earth, initiates and maintains a constant alternating current supply of high stability in its anode circuit. The stability of this alternating voltage is due mainly to 'the capacitance potentiometer, the capacitor 2l being of small value whilst that of 22 is high. The resistor 23 is a normal grid leak, whilst the cathode Vbias resistor 2li is of moderately small value. The anode voltage is supplied through a resistor V25 while the screen grid voltage ,is appliedthrough a resistor 26 and de-coupled'by means of a -capacitor 21. This combination can be demonstrated to maintain an extremely stable frequency of oscillation at the anode in spite of wide temperature variations and also with very great voltage fluctuations in the anode and screen grid supplies.

The oscillatory voltage, produced in the anode circuit of the valve I9, is available at any point between the anode andthe anode resistor 25, whence either the actual fundamental frequency of the crystal 2t, or some harmonic thereof, 4may 'be obtained. I reject the fundamental frequency and, instead, utilise one of Athe odd harmonics,

Asuch as the third or fifth-these being found Vto be more stable than the even harmonics such as the second or fourth. The oscillatory voltage is fed, through a Variable capacitor 128, which Vreduces the potential variation to a small fraction of thatravailable, to a tank circuit comprising an inductance 29 and a capacitor 30 which ,are parallel-tuned to the selected odd harmonic. This tank circuit improves the Wave form, available at the anode of valve I9, from saw tooth to sinusoidal, and app-lies it to a secondary circuit comprising an inductance 3l and a capacitor 232 vwhich are tuned to the same odd harmonic.

yThe outputof this secondary circuit is injected into a pentode amplier valve 33. which vampli-- asi-38302 fles the small voltage and feeds it to the primary winding 34 of a parallel-tuned, filtering transformer, of which the secondary winding is shown at 35, and the associated capacitors at 36 and 31.

The tuned transformer 29, 3|, being fed from valve i9 via the very small capacitor 28, only amplifies the voltage very slightly, and its purpose is to rather select the required harmonic than to amplify the voltage available. In consequence, temperature variations in the components will only effect extremely small variations in the frequency available at the grid of the valve 33.

With valve 33, however, the conditions are diiferent since the full output available at the anode, and representing the exact frequency of the selected harmonic of the crystal, will be available in the tuned circuit 34, 36, whilst a considerably amplified value of the frequency voltage injected into valve 33 will be available at the terminals of circuit 35, 31. Therefore temperature variations, if permitted to aect the components of the combined circuit 34, 35, 36, 31, will affect both the inductance values and the capacitance values, and thus, the filtering value of this combination.

Thus, by selecting suitable components to cover the possible temperature range in which the instrument is intended to operate, the stability of the filter (34-31l can be improved, although such a selection cannot completely eliminate the effect of temperature changes.

With this end in view, the Value of the inductance 34 is considerably greater than that of the inductance 35, with the consequence that a rise in temperature will effect a much greater increase in the inductance value of the former than of the latter, and since both the primary and secondary circuits require to be tuned to the same frequency value, it is evident that a much greater capacitance will be required to frequency-tune inductance 35 than 34.

The capacitor 38 is influenced by the stylus, indicated diagrammatically at S, for effecting the desired measurement or comparison of measurementsi. e., the stylus influences the capacitance by the relative displacement of the capacitor plates, the capacitor being arranged in a measuring head in the manner according to British patent specication No. 577,538. As the value of capacitance 38 is only a small percentage of the total value required to tune the secondary 35, 31 of the filter, ancillary capacitors 39, 40, 4i, 42 and 43 are provided, and each of them is selectively switchable into the circuit, by a movable switch member 44, for giving the measuring head a variable degree of sensitivity. There is also provided compensating capacitors 45, 46, and 41.

The greater value of capacitance necessary in the secondary filter 35, 31 is adjusted to cause an equivalent discrimination, with a rise or fall in temperature, of the frequency induced by the primary filter 34, 36, changes in ambient temperature causing a minimum of frequency variation due to the high value of the capacitances in circuit and by reason of the negative and positive opposition of inductance and capacitance in parallel. Thus when a rise in temperature occurs, the coil 34 will increase in size and, therefore, in inductance, and a fall in frequency will be effected. However, the capacitor 36 will also be affected, and the capacitance value, due to an increase in temperature, will be reduced, causing a rise in frequency discrimination. The effect of temperature on the inductance and cafpacitance will, therefore, balance out and main-Y tain a constant frequency filtering value. The secondary coil 35, having a much smaller inductance will have a larger capacitance value, but part of this will be outside the temperature control, being contained in the measuring head. The remainder, being positioned in a cooler portion of the instrument will be affected to a smaller degree than the primary (due to constructional considerations) and, therefore, will necessarily be of greatervalue to produce a similar balance of frequency control.

The measuring head, when in operation, is opened from a maximum capacitance value to one permitting a desired value of current to be induced into the secondary 35 from the primary lter, and any variation in the position of the stylus of the measuring head will cause the value of this current to increase, or decrease, according to the value of the capacitance 33 and the capacitance in the circuit 35, 31, the sensitivity of the detection being modified by the value of Whichever of the capacitors 39 to 43 is selected. The valve 33 is provided with a cathode bias resistor 48 and a by-pass capacitor 49, the screen voltage being applied through a resistor 50 and de-coupled to earth by a capacitor 5I.

In Figure l the variation in the induced voltage in lter 35, 31 is applied to a grid of the double triode valve 52, the cathodes and anodes of which are arranged in bridge circuit by means of potentiometers 53, 54, so as to operate as a valve voltmeter bridge balance.

In Figure 2 the induced voltage is fed to the cathode of one side of an inverted double diode valve 55, the anode being connected to one grid of the valve 5| and to earth by a resistor 56. Thus, the valve 55 acts as a half wave rectifier, the rectified voltage providing the negative bias for the grid. The other grid of the valve 52 is connected to a similar circuit, in which the other cathode of the valve 55 is connected to earth, and the anode is connected to the grid of the valve 52 and to earth by a resistor 51 to provide a very stable biassing voltage on the grid of the valve 52. The difference in voltage on the grids of the valve l52 causes a difference in anode current through the two halves, and consequently a difference in voltage drop across the two portions 58, 59 of the potentiometer 54. This voltage difference is indicated by a measuring device B0 which can be calibrated in linear dimensions of the order to be measured.

It is found that the following values are required for the various components used:

Capacitors:

|4-16 mfd.

15-16 mfd.

2 |-100 mmfd.

22-1,000 mmfd.

21-0.01 mfd.

28--3-30 mmfd. 38-0-300 mmfd. (including leads) 39-250 mmfd. 40-200 mmfd. 4I-150 mmfd. 42-100 mmfd. 43-50 mmfd. i5-50 mmfd. 46-50 mmfd. 41--10 mmfd. t9- 0.01 mfd. 5|-0.0l mfd.

Resistors:

lli-1,500 ohms 1-1,500 ohms 23-680,000 ohms 2li-10,000 ohms 25-22,000 ohms 26-100,000 ohms 48-300 ohms SII-100,000 ohms 53-10,000 ohms variable 5ft-9,400 ohms variable 55E-220,000 ohms 51-100,000 ohms The neon stabilizer I8 is of the type VS150. The valve I3 is a 6X5, the valve I 9 a 6J?, the valve 33 a 6K7, the valve 52 a 6SN7 and the valve 55 a 6H6.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1s:

l. Means for measuring the capacitance of a variable capacitor, including an oscillator valve the output at the anode of which is of constant frequency, a quartz-crystal for regulating said oscillator valve, a tank circuit combined with said oscillator valve for filtering out a selected harmonic, and an amplifying circuit to which the selected harmonic is fed and which includes a voltage amplifier and a temperature compensating filter, the latter comprising a primary section of small inductance and large capacitance.and a secondary section of smaller inductance and larger capacitance as compared with the primary section, the inductances and capacitances of the two sections respectively being arranged for any variations due to temperature changes to be opposed, and said secondary section including said variable capacitor.

2.. A measuring means, according to claim 1, and including a valve voltmeter balance bridge to Which the output of said temperaturecompensating lter is fed.

3.v A measuring means, according to claim 1, and including a half wave rectiiier to which the output of said temperature compensating iilter is fed, and a valve voltmeter balance bridge having a grid provided with a biasing voltage by said rectifier.

JAMES RICHARD CORNELUS.

REFERENCES CITED :'gfflfhefollowing references are of record in the lileof this patent:

4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

